Alaska
This Day in Alaska History-July 26th, 1950 – Alaska Native News
Austin “Cap” Lathrop, lengthy known as Alaska’s first millionaire, spent over 5 many years in Alaska after buying a steamboat and transferring to Alaska within the mid-Eighteen Nineties. He made his fortune via investments in Alaska. It was on July twenty sixth, 1950 that the aged Lathrop was crushed when, at 84, he fell beneath the wheels of a loaded railroad coal automobile at considered one of his investments, his coal mine in Healy.
Cap Lathrop would purchase many companies in Alaska, amongst them the Fairbanks Every day Newsminer, and radio stations corresponding to KENI and KFAR. He’s identified famously for creating theatres in Alaska, first in Cordova, then with the Empress chain in Fairbanks and Anchorage, together with the 4th Avenue Theatre. He additionally had his hand in flats, lumber, banking, beverage gross sales, and coal mining.
He’s additionally well-known for his film manufacturing, “Chechahcos,” the primary film filmed completely in Alaska.
Cap would sit on the Board of Trustees of the Alaska Agricultural School and the College of Mines and on the Board of Regents when it turned the Univesity of Alaska.
Lathrop would additionally serve two years on the Alaska Territorial Home of Representatives and as a consultant to the Republican Nationwide Committee.
Fearing a rise in taxes for the state’s small inhabitants, Lathrop opposed statehood however gave generously to Alaska organizations together with Alaska’s college.
There are lots of areas all through the state named after Lathrop.